|
I have found on Bipolar and other mental health forums around the Internet a good deal of searching for validation of the Bipolar diagnosis –in other words, there seems to be some hope and desire out there for the diagnosis (although of course not the symptoms/experience of it, I certainly don’t think anyone wants that).
My feeling is that on the one hand there is the natural desire and curiosity to know why one feels and thinks and behaves as one does, along with the desire to find others like oneself.
But on the other hand, I personally think the desire for this diagnosis stems from the commonly accepted notion that it is ‘biological,’ that it means that there’s something messed up with your brain, but not something messed up about you as a person. Therefore –according to this logic- behaviors associated with Bipolar Disorder are not one’s ‘fault’ (that's one way of looking at it, anyway).
I think it’s an unfortunate dichotomy -some diagnoses are associated with “bad” behavior and others with “not bad” behavior -with Bipolar, you’re not a ‘bad’ person, your behavior is not your fault (it’s your brain not you). I think this is especially true when you compare the perceptions of those who are diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder vs. those diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder. My point is that I think it comes down to how responsible one is perceived to be for one’s behavior. I think we’re all ultimately responsible, however you want to define responsibility, but the reality is, some diagnoses carry more stigma than others even if some of the behaviors can be similar. (For the record, I think BPD and BP are very different illnesses, even if they share, at least superficially, some symptoms in common).
In any case, if I’m truly honest with myself I’d have to say that although I certainly do not want the experience of Bipolar episodes (I am diagnosed with Bipolar I) I do not mind so much the diagnosis of Bipolar, or at least as compared to some others out there. Of course I do realize there is still stigma associated with this illness and I do for the most part keep it to myself.
I’m interested to know if some of you agree that this is sometimes a sought-after diagnosis and if so, why. Do you think it has something to do with stigma, perception of personal responsibility, etc.?
I’m looking forward to your thoughts on this!
|